Shrewsbury Town Gears Up for Pre-Season with Exciting Friendlies and Open Day

July 24, 2026 – Shrewsbury Town Football Club is building momentum in pre-season as they prepare for the 2026/27 League Two campaign under the stewardship of head coach Gavin Cowan.

The Salopians continued their pre-season preparations with a 1-0 victory over Everton Under-21s on Tuesday evening. The narrow win at the Croud Meadow provided another positive step in Cowan’s squad building phase. Following recent draws and wins, including a 4-0 triumph over Isle of Man FC and a goalless stalemate against Radcliffe, the team is showing encouraging signs of cohesion.

Gavin Cowan, who signed a contract extension until 2028 earlier this year, has been actively strengthening the squad during the summer transfer window. Recent arrivals have bolstered the attacking options as the head coach looks to add more firepower. The club has also secured promising young talents on loan, including goalkeeper Proctor from Aston Villa and striker Gbode from Luton Town, injecting fresh energy into the side.

With the new season on the horizon, excitement is growing around the Croud Meadow. Tomorrow, Saturday 25 July, Shrewsbury Town will face West Bromwich Albion in a high-profile friendly match scheduled for 3pm. The fixture against the Championship side offers a stern test and valuable minutes for the squad as they fine-tune their preparations.

On Tuesday 28 July, the team travels to face Hereford in another pre-season encounter, providing further competitive action before the league season begins. Fans are encouraged to attend these matches to show their support during this crucial period.

Adding to the anticipation, the club’s popular Open Day is just days away on Sunday 26 July. The family-friendly event promises a full day of activities, attractions, and opportunities to meet the players. Shrewsbury Town Women will also take centre stage, facing Walsall in a match that forms part of the celebrations. Tickets and further details for the Open Day are available via the club’s official website.

Off the pitch, the club continues to engage with supporters through various initiatives. A new third shirt for the 2026/27 season has been unveiled to great acclaim, while an exciting exhibition project invites fans to contribute to telling the rich history of Shrewsbury Town. These community-focused efforts highlight the club’s commitment to its loyal fanbase.

Cowan has emphasised the importance of balance in his squad as pre-season progresses. With several friendlies still to come, including a clash against an Aston Villa XI on 1 August, the head coach is using these matches to assess players and implement his tactical vision. Fitness updates and squad depth remain key priorities following the managerial changes earlier in 2026.

As the transfer window remains active, supporters eagerly await further announcements. The club’s recent form in pre-season friendlies suggests optimism for the upcoming League Two season. With Cowan at the helm and a refreshed squad, Shrewsbury Town aims to push for a stronger campaign after securing their status last term.

The coming weeks will be vital in determining the team’s readiness as they transition from pre-season into competitive action. Fans are urged to get behind the team at the Croud Meadow and on the road.

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Home of Shrewsbury Town FC

Opened 2007

Capacity 10,361

History (from Wikipedia)

Naming[edit]

The stadium had no official name during the club's first season at their new home, before being christened the "Prostar Stadium" in a four-year deal with the sports kit manufacturer of the same name in July 2008.[1] The club had initially distanced themselves from the unofficial name of "New Meadow", preferring to sever links with the old Gay Meadow ground,[2] however when the naming deal with Prostar ended two years earlier than scheduled, new sponsors Greenhous gave supporters the opportunity to vote for a new stadium name, with "Meadow" added to the shortlist after feedback from fans.[3] From May 2010, the stadium was officially known as "Greenhous Meadow",[4] until Greenhous announced they would be ending their sponsorship of the club and stadium in November 2016,[5] with local firm Montgomery Waters taking on the naming rights from July 2017.[6]

Design and construction[edit]

Proposals to move to a new stadium site at Oteley Road were first drawn up in the late 1990s,[7] with planning permission granted in September 2003.[8] A covenant protecting the Gay Meadow site for sports use was transferred to Oteley Road in 2004, clearing the way for the sale of the old ground to property developers to finance the building of New Meadow.[9]

The stadium was designed by WDW Partnership architects, with the project awarded to Hall Construction, at a cost of £11.2 million, with a brief to build a 10,000 capacity all-seater stadium, with banqueting facilities for up to 300 people. The project consisted of erecting four stands, including hospitality boxes, function rooms, kitchen, bars, offices and a club shop as well as adjoining community and training pitches, a 670 space car park and access roads. Work was completed for the new stadium to open in time for the beginning of the 2007–08 Football League Two season.[10]

Stands[edit]

The East and West stands run the length of the pitch; the South and North stands face onto the ends of the pitch. All stands are fully seated and covered; each stand also has its own catering and toilets. At present the stands are detached from one another.
  • "Roland Wycherley Stand" - East stand, named after the present chairman; includes the club's hospitality facilities, the changing rooms, club offices and club shop. Blocks 1−7. Capacity 2,741.[11]
  • "Salop Leisure Stand" - South stand, named after a local business sponsor. Houses the new safe-standing section of the ground. Blocks 8−12. Capacity 1,955.[11]
  • "DM Recruitment Stand" - North stand - the away supporters' stand; also has stadium control room and scoreboard, resulting in fewer seats than the South stand. Blocks 20−24. Capacity 1,796.[11]
  • "The Assist Group Stand" - West stand, named after a local company. Blocks 13−19. Capacity 3,317.[11]
Expansion and developments[edit]

After the first nine seasons hosted at New Meadow, the average attendance for first-team league matches stood at 5,612, approximately 57% of capacity (see table below), with no confirmed prospect of stadium expansion in the foreseeable future as of July 2016.

In September 2014, Shrewsbury drew Chelsea at home in the fourth round of the League Cup. With the club anticipating a high demand for tickets, C.E.O. Matt Williams proposed that temporary seating could be erected in the corners between the existing stands. In order to maintain segregation between home and away supporters, and to allow access for emergency vehicles, the proposals were later reduced to two temporary stands at the South (home) end of the ground,[12] With match tickets selling out on their first day of general sale, the club confirmed the plans on 13 October 2014, which temporarily raised the capacity of New Meadow to 10,361.[13]

Subsequent developments on the stadium site include 5G 5-a-side and 7-a-side pitches currently operated by Powerleague,[14] and a community centre run by "Shrewsbury Town in the Community" which opened on land behind the South stand in 2016.[15] A memorial garden area to remember fans, staff and players who have died was also relocated near the entrance to the stadium in the same year.[16] Shropshire Football Association are also based at New Meadow, with their county office located in a building at the rear of the South stand.[17]

The food retailer Lidl submitted plans to build a supermarket at the stadium site in May 2016, however this was partly reliant on the local council agreeing to move land earmarked for community use at the North end of the ground to another part of the site.[18] Planning permission for the Lidl development and a new community pitch was approved in April 2017, with building work due to begin the following month.[19]

Things to do in Shrewsbury.